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04 HINDUSTAN TIMES, RAJASTHAN MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2019 htcity ENTERTAINMENT ‘IT’S HEALTHY TO DISCUSS ABOUT SEX WITH FAMILY’ SHOW LOOKBACK PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/POOJAB1972 Birthday wish in style Actor Kirti Kulhari played an Air Force pilot in Uri: The Surgical Strike Actor Kirti Kulhari talks about her journey towards a more liberated and empowered self in Indian family setup Filmmaker-actor Pooja Bhatt wished her co-actor Rahul Roy on his birthday (February 9) with this picture. “@officialrahulroy That could well be me singing ‘Happy Birthday to you’ and right on cue!...,” she wrote. QUOTE HANGER Singer Sonu Nigam was recently admitted to hospital due to severe allergy that he got after eating sea food this web series, which deals with everyday sexism, relationship travails and sexuality, was in a way liberating for her as a person as well as an actor. “While I have dealt with a lot of issues on my own, I pushed myself as an actor during the show. As a person now, I feel unstoppable. I have actually become liberated myself. I feel so empowered to talk about things which I wouldn’t talk about or discuss earlier in public,” she shares. But Kirti did have her own apprehensions about the role as she didn’t want it to turn out to be just another show with fluff and sex, and with no substance. She reveals that it was her husband, actor Saahil Sehgal, who brought her out of the misery. “I know what it takes in a country like India to do it. While people are free to judge it, we should not be in a space where we get instant gratification from titillation. That’s when my husband told me that as an actor, I needed to get out of my comfort zone,” she concludes. Juhi Chakraborty PHOTO: FOTOCORP S Never made any film for myself: Sonu Nigam ex is not a drawing room subject for discussion while growing up in India. And Kirti Kulhari’s family was no different. The actor, in her latest web series, takes on the role of a working single mother, not afraid to explore her sexuality; and it wasn’t an easy character to say yes to, owing to her mental conditioning and the environment she grew up in . “I come from a family where we never talked about sex. Relationships were looked down upon. While, I was given a lot of freedom in terms of what I wanted to do. [For instance] When I chose sports over studies, my father was okay with it. There were obviously things he was not okay with and neither was my mother. And I don’t blame them for that,” shares Kirti. However now, the actor feels that sex and relationships should be subjects that parents and kids discuss openly. “It is the sign of a healthy environment to discuss what’s happening in your life; if you are dating someone or what’s going on sexually,” she adds. Kirti says, since all this wasn’t there (growing up), it obviously affected her and she “had to learn things from my own experiences,” good and bad. And hence, being a part of I’VE NEVER BEEN A DESPERATE PERSON. I’VE BEEN A LUCKY GIRL AND I HAVE LIVED BY MY OWN RULES, NOT THE INDUSTRY NORMS. THE YOUNGER GENERATION IS AWARE THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF HISTORICAL FIGURES ON WHICH WE CAN MAKE FILMS. S BIPASHA BASU, ACTOR AJAY DEVGN, ACTOR inger Sonu Nigam has also been a composer, performer, host and an actor. He says, while most people make films to launch themselves, the Jaani Dushman: Ek Anokhi Kahani (2002) actor never made any movie for himself. In the new video of the song Ishq Ki Gali, Sonu is seen flaunting his dance and acting skills. “I’ve featured in a video song for a film after a long time, and it felt nice. It’s a wedding song. I did this out of my love for Vibhas (composer) and also because the ethos behind the film is so nice,” says Sonu. Asked if he would you like to do a full-fledged film once again as an actor, Sonu adds, “I never made any film for myself. People offered (them to) me. Everybody else makes films to launch themselves. I never wanted to do that. I don’t have the time or the intent or the inclination to invest 100 days of my life on something, which is going to take over the rest of my life.” Calling himself a “busy human being”, the singer, who will soon release a single, shares, “I’ve a lot of things that I do in my life, so, to leave all that and get busy in shooting, would be difficult. I don’t say no to anything but yes, if I’m ever destined to and if I find something good come my way... I will (act again). Otherwise, I am not making any special efforts for it.” Earlier this week, Sonu updated his fans on social media about him getting hospitalised due to sea food allergy. But that hasn’t stopped him from working. Talking about his projects, he says, “There’s another song that’s coming out soon and you’ll see me doing a lot of masti in that song too.” HAVE YOU HEARD? Shahid Kapoor in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s next? F ilmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra got everyone excited when he announced that he has teamed up with actor Farhan Akhtar for his next film. And now, the latest buzz is that the filmmaker is also in talks with actor Shahid Kapoor for another project. Mumbai Mirror quoted Mehra as saying, “Shahid and I really want to do a film together. He’s such a fabulous actor and someone I feel I would have so much fun working with. With him, it’s like finding a DNA match...” IANS [email protected] n The white and bright of Kutch Vijay Vilas Palace PHOTOS: GARIMA VERMA The whims and fancies of nature combine well with the colours and structures to make the region a festival of life Shree Swaminarayan Temple Garima Verma W hat a robber nature has been! As far as the eye can travel, nothing meets it but the barren lands and scanty shrubs. The heart sinks a bit and the mind wonders at the probability of survival in such harshness. That is only till the herders at the roadside greet you with such smiles that, strangely, have satisfaction written all over them, despite being dealt the worst of cards this season, when rain turned a blind eye towards the Rann of Kutch. One look at the white Rann and you seem to understand the beauty of minimalism that perhaps guides their ways. The white carpet of salt that spans till the horizon changes colours, with every passing phase of the sun — going beautifully from glowing yellow at sunrise to fiery crimson at sunset. Yet, it is the perfection of full moon, when it shines like a white pearl, that brings out its unblemished magnificence. And, the vivid hues that accompany it truly show that Kutchi people would rather celebrate life than curse the inadequacies. As the, otherwise, inhospitable land metamorphoses into the giant Tent City during Rann Utsav (till February 20), the artists and artisans from all over Kutch come together to add to its rustic charm. KUTCHI TRIVIA shadow over it with dislodged stones and scattered material for restoration. The 19th century palace’s clock tower seems to have bore the largest brunt, yet, its glass windows, along with the Corinthian pillars keep the majesty breathing. The next door Aina Mahal is a much more tragic tale of visible rubble and lost glory. The interiors, or what are left of them, are a peek into what would have been. The palaces of Kutch might not be gigantic when compared to their challengers in Rajasthan or Madhya Pradesh, but they too leave nothing to be desired when it comes to luxury. The music room, court room or the bedroom, all with their marble walls, intricate ivory and wooden doors, numerous lanterns, tiled floors and multitude of mirrors still elicit a wow or two. It is heartbreaking though, that the exteriors could not hold their ground much. Kutch surely makes you understand or see nature’s whims like no other place. The India House of scholar and freedom fighter Shyamji Krishna Varma in Britain, has been replicated in his birthplace, Mandvi, as his memorial. The runway of air force station, Bhuj, had been laid to rest by attacks in the 1971 war against Pakistan. After the defence’s efforts proved to be inadequate to get it working, it was the valour of Madhapura village residents, mostly women, who came to the rescue. Despite attack by the enemy aircrafts, they worked relentlessly to make the runway operational. A memorial stands at the entry of the town to honour the brave. The new Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Bhuj is a picture of white opulence. Constructed a little farther from the site of the old temple, which was partly destroyed in the 2001 quake, stands pretty in marble, with sandstone pavilions on the sides and goldcovered sancta. n Camel rides are common in Rann The melodies from there continue till the highest point of Kutch. The ascent, however, is preceded by a brief shopping halt at a handicraft village, Gandhi nu Gam, and curiosityamplifying magnetic field spots a little before Kalo Dungar or the black hill. Just like the popular Magnetic Hill in Ladakh, these spots also pull loaded vehicles, adding to the mysterious ways of this place. Not too far, Kalo Dungar gives a splendid bird’s eye view of the entire Great Rann. Legend has it that it was this black hill that helped many a traveller find their way in the mighty desert, thanks to its peculiar colour and height. n Left) Local Kutchi food; above) Kutchi folk artist Kutchi handicrafts sight of perfection among unruly woods and well-laid gardens. If the first look jolts the mind with familiarity, all you need to do is go back to Bollywood references. For it was here, that the select audience sat and watched Bhuvan (Aamir Khan) trump the British team in Lagaan’s (2001) roller coaster cricket match. Its domes, latticed windows, utch. The human ndeavour has long riumphed over the cataclysmic blow of destiny in Bhuj. Yet, there are places like Aina Mahal and Prag Mahal that bear the consequences of that sinister 2001 quake, and keep the memory alive. The latter, which made for many shots in Lagaan, again for its Italian Gothic architecture, has a ghostly n trees and blue waters of the Arabian Sea are enough for this 16th century trade port, whose merchants owned hundreds of vessels and their business reached as far as Africa. The ships, being made from timber, still catch everyone’s attention. While most of the fort walls of yesteryear are crumbling, Vijay Vilas Palace stands as a exquisite porches and stone work strike an instant affair with the lens. THE ABUNDANCE Mandvi’s coastline and green vistas seem to take you to some other world altogether. It doesn’t need decorated camels to add colour to its bland landscape, like Rann. The tall OF PAST AND PRESENT It’s strange how nature rapidly oscillates from generous to unforgiving in LAWS OF PHYSICS